The present disclosure is related to a projection optical system and a projection type display device. Particularly, the present disclosure is related to a projection optical system which is favorably suited for use in a projection type display device having light valves such as liquid crystal display elements or DMD's (Digital Micromirror Devices®), and a projection type display device that employs this projection optical system.
Recently, projection type display devices (also referred to as “projectors”) which are equipped with light valves such as liquid crystal display elements and DMD's (Digital Micromirror Devices®) are in wide use, and the performance thereof is increasing. Particularly, accompanying the improved performance of recent light valves, there is great demand for the resolution of projection optical systems to be improved as well.
In addition, there is increasing demand for projection optical systems having higher performance and wider angles of view to be mounted in projection type display devices, taking increases in the degree of freedom in setting distances to screens and installation properties within interior spaces into consideration.
Projection optical systems that form an intermediate image with a first optical system constituted by a plurality of lenses, then perform refocusing operations with a second optical system also constituted by a plurality of lenses have been proposed, in order to meet these demands (refer to International Patent Publication No. 09/107553 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-330410).
In a projection optical system constituted by an ordinary optical system that does not form an intermediate image, if a widening of the angle of view is achieved by shortening the focal length thereof, the lenses toward the magnification side will become excessively large. In contrast, a projection optical system that forms an intermediate image as described above is capable of shortening the back focus of the second optical system while decreasing the diameters of lenses of the second optical system toward the magnification side, and is favorably suited to increasing the angle of view by shortening the focal length thereof.